This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill at Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!

My pick for this week is Wolfsbane,
by Andrea Cremer.

Wolfsbane

(Nightshade #2)

Andrea Cremer

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published by Philomel

Expected Release Date: July 26, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind.

Although I do prefer the original cover,
I'm still looking forward to the release of this book!
It's just such a great story!

I must sheepishly confess that I haven't read
the first volume, Nightshade, yet...
but I do want this one already, anyway!!




So what books are you all eagerly anticipating
this Wednesday?

Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge 2011

I have just found another fabulous reading challenge!

This one is hosted by Magemanda at Floor to Ceiling Books,

and I wouldn't miss it for the world!

I love reading practically anything (except horror) 

that takes me out of this boring reality anyway,

so this shouldn't be too hard!

The minimum amount of books to be read is 12.

This challenge started in January, 2011,

and will end in December, 2011.

For the rest of the rules, and to sign up,

just go HERE.

But wait a minute...

Just what is "speculative fiction", anyway?

To quote Wikipedia:

Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.

^{Well, I'm out as far as the horror genre is concerned,}

^{but I have no problem with the rest of the ones mentioned!}

^{(You can access the complete article HERE.)}

^{Here are some titles I'm interested in.}

^{They're not listed in any particular order.}

^{The Unicorn Sonata - Peter S. Beagle}

^{Magician: Apprentice (The Riftwar Saga #1)}

^{Raymond E. Feist}

^{Lyonesse: Suldrun's Garden (Lyonesse #1)}

^{Jack Vance}

^{The Green Pearl (Lyonesse #2)}

^{Jack Vance}

^{Madouc (Lyonesse #3) - Jack Vance}

^{Woman On the Edge of Time - Marge Piercy}

^{The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. LeGuin}

^{Vulcan! (Star Trek TOS) - Kathleen Sky}

^{The Asteroid Wars (The Asteroid Wars #1 - #3)}

^{Ben Bova}

^{Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini}

^{The Vampire Stalker - Allison van Diepen}

^{Nightshade - Andrea Cremer}

Waiting On Wednesday #8: Winter's Shadow - M.J. Hearle

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill at Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!

My pick for this week is Winter's Shadow,
by M.J. Hearle.

Winter's Shadow

M.J. Hearle

Trade Paperback, 432 pages

Published by Pan Macmillan, Australia

June 1, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

He's all that Winter Adams can think of. Ever since their fateful meeting at Pilgrim's Lament. Ever since he looked at her with those emerald eyes.

Ever since he saved her life.

But Blake isn't all that he seems. There is a strangeness about him, something dark and otherworldly.

Something dangerous...

This certainly sounds like an intriguing story!

When I read the synopsis,

I became totally fascinated!

You can see just how much of an impression

this novel has made

by reading the Goodreads reviews,

and going to  

the fan page on Facebook,

which you can access

HERE.

I'm sure the cover of the book is part of its appeal,

since it's obviously gorgeous!

Although the book has already been released, it's

by no means easy to obtain,

at least not for those of us who live in the U.S.

I've already checked Amazon, eBay,

Half.com, Abebooks, Alibris,

and Powells...

Of course, I can always order it 

directly from Australian book sellers.

Except that the shipping alone is

at least $25.00!

So I'm currently signed up to be notified

by The Book Depository

as soon as they have it in stock again...

Meanwhile, I will just have to finish

reading the books I've already started,

so I can post the reviews!

So what books are all of you 

waiting on this Wednesday?

On My Wishlist #4

This is a fun weekly event hosted by

Carolyn at  Book Chick City,

 and runs every Saturday.

Each participating blogger features books 

s/he hasn't actually bought yet, but desperately wants to read,

because the stories sound so very fascinating!

These books can be either newly-published,

to be released in the near future,

or they might have been in print for several years.

In my particular case, any books I place

on my wish list are strictly the print versions,

since I do not read ebooks. 

Here are my choices for this week!

The Hunt of the Unicorn

C.C. Humphreys

Hardcover, 341 pages

Published by Knopf Books

March 8, 2011

(first published February 28, 2011)

Genre: YA Fantasy

(By the way, I love the gorgeous cover!!)

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Elayne thinks the old family story that one of her ancestors stepped through a tapestry into a world of mythical beasts makes a great fireside tale. But she lives in the real world. In New York City. And she's outgrown that kind of fantasy.

Until she finds herself in front of a unicorn tapestry at the Cloisters museum and sees her initials woven into the fabric. And hears a unicorn calling to her. And slips and falls—into that other world.

The Map of Time

Felix J. Palma

(translated by Nick Caistor)

Hardcover, 624 pages

Published by Atria

Expected Release Date: June 28, 2011

(first published, in Spanish, Oct 15, 2008)

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

(This cover reminds me of the one

for Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare.

I love the style of both!

Maybe they're by the same artist.)

From the Fantastic Fiction Website Synopsis

Set in Victorian London with characters real and imagined, The Map of Time is a page-turner that boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H. G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence. What happens if we change history? Félix J. Palma explores this question in The Map of Time, weaving a historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting...

El Mapa del Tiempo

Felix J. Palma

Trade Paperback, 628 pages

Published by Algaida Editores

November 2, 2010

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction

Special Note

Since this book was originally published in Spanish,

I intend to get that edition as well!

For some reason, Amazon gives a different

publication date for the Spanish edition.

(Yes, I am that much of a book addict...)

The Vampire Stalker

Allison van Diepen

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published by Point

June 1, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he is Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo.

Starcrossed

Josephine Angelini

Hardcover, 496 pages

Pubhlished by HarperTeen

May 31, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

(I think this cover is sooo beautiful!)

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. 

Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. . .  and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

Toward the Gleam

T.M. Doran

Hardcover, 481 pages

Published by Ignatius Pres

March 1, 2011

Genre: Fantasy

(I love this cover as well!)

Special Note

This book is being recommended to Tolkien fans!

That puts the seal of approval on it, as far as I'm concerned,

since I absolutely love the works of that author!!

There's also a giveaway of this book

on Goodreads!

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Between the two world wars, on a hike in the English countryside, Professor John Hill takes refuge from a violent storm in a cave. There he nearly loses his life, but he also makes an astonishing discovery — an ancient manuscript housed in a cunningly crafted metal box. Though a philologist by profession, Hill cannot identify the language used in the manuscript and the time period in which it is was made, but he knows enough to make an educated guess — that the book and its case are the fruits of a long-lost, but advanced civilization.

So what books are on your wishlist this week?

On My Wishlist #3

This is a fun weekly event hosted by

Carolyn at  Book Chick City,

 and runs every Saturday.

Each participating blogger features books 

s/he hasn't actually bought yet, but desperately wants to read,

because the stories sound so very fascinating!

These books can be either newly-published,

to be released in the near future,

or they might have been in print for several years.

In my particular case, any books I place

on my wish list are strictly the print versions,

since I do not read ebooks. 

Here are my choices for this week!

Entwined

Heather Dixon

Hardcover, 480 pages

Published by Greenwillow Books

March 29, 2011

Genre: YA Fantasy

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away.

 

All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries.

Sea Change

Aimee Friedman

Hardcover, 292 pages

Published by Point

June 1, 2009

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science. . .and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.

She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.

Daughter of Xanadu

Dori Jones Yang

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published by Delacorte Books

January 11, 2011

(first published Dec. 22, 2010)

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield. The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu.

Besides the absolutely beautiful covers,
the plots of these books
promise very fascinating reads!!
I simply can't wait to make them mine!!

So what books are on your own wishlist this week?

Favorite Author: Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer

( Born December 24, 1973)

Some time back in 2006, I was doing my customary browsing on Amazon, in search of something new to read.  This is a compulsive ritual I engage in every single day.  Most of the time, I buy a book.  Other times, I merely torture myself with all the books I'd like to add to my collection, and know I won't be able to.  On that fateful day, I first came across Twilight.

As I've done on so many other occasions, I opened the site's reader, and sampled an excerpt.  As I read, my interest fascination increased to the point that I knew I needed to own this novel!  So I hurriedly closed the reader, and ordered the book .  I had never heard of Stephenie Meyer at the time, but I knew I had found something incredibly good!!

When I received it in the mail, I began at once to read it, falling headlong into Meyer's fascinating, utterly compelling world.  I felt that I was part of that world, somehow.  I lived the novel.  So, of course, I devoured the book in a very short time.  Then I ordered the next one, New Moon, only to have the same experience. 

Five years later, I have read Twilight three times, and the entire Saga twice.  I will never grow tired of the timeless romance of Edward and Bella, nor will I ever grow tired of a certain werewolf named Jacob Black, whom I love almost as fiercely as the vampire Edward Cullen.

The four books in the series are Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.  They tell the enthralling story of the love between a vampire boy and a human girl, who is also loved by a shapeshifter/werewolf. 

We are introduced to all three of them in the first book, in which Bella also has a chilling, nearly fatal encounter with a ruthless vampire who doesn't share the Cullen family's firm ethical code of not harming humans. 

In the second book, Edward leaves Bella, and she seeks solace in her deepening friendship with Jacob, the werewolf, who ends up falling hopelessly in love with her.  Later in the novel, she must rescue her despairing beloved from the clutches of the Volturi, a coven of ruthless vampires who have no qualms about killing humans for their blood. 

In the third book, the two groups -- the Cullen family and the werewolf members of the Quileute tribe -- have to form an uneasy alliance in order to deal with the Volturi, and a renewed threat to Bella's life. 

The fourth book portrays the wedding of Bella and Edward, as well as the birth of their very gifted, very unusual daughter.  Things come to a head with the Volturi as well, and the series reaches a satisfactory resolution, leaving its devoted fans happy, and yet wanting more...

Some of us -- myself included -- have even written Twilight-inspired fan fiction, so as to savor our beloved characters as many times as we wish...  We simply can't get enough of them!

Meyer hails from Hartford, Connecticut, USA, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona.  She graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a major in English.  She and her husband, Christian Meyer, whom she married in 1994, have three sons -- Gabe, Seth, and Eli.

In addition to The Twilight Saga, she has written Midnight Sun , which tells the story of The Saga from Edward Cullen's perspective.   The book needs more work, but Meyer has put the project on hold because several chapters were leaked and appeared on the Internet.  It is available, however, on the author's official website, which you can access HERE. 

Other books include The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, a novella set in the Twilight universe,  The Host: A Novel, a science fiction novel for adults, and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, released in April, 2011.

A graphic novel adaptation of the first book has also been released --- Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1, as well as The Twilight Journals, which are blank diaries adorned with quotes from The Saga. 

There are several critical analyses of the series, most of them favorable.  The one I consider best so far is Spotlight: A Close-Up Look at the Artistry and Meaning of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga.  The book, written by John Granger, who has also authored an analysis of the Harry Potter series, presents a penetrating look at The Saga, discussing it as serious literature. 

I was delighted when I discovered, about a year ago, that the story had started with a dream that Meyer had one night -- a dream in which she clearly saw Edward and Bella, standing in a meadow, discussing their unusual relationship.  Edward was sparkling in the brilliant sunlight...

This dream refused to drift back into the recesses of her mind.  Instead, it blossomed and grew.  As she went about her daily duties at home with her children, it stayed with her.  So she sat down one day and began to write...and the dream flowed...

The magic of literature always begins with a dream, whether the dreamer is asleep, fully awake, or in some kind of in-between state more receptive to images from the unconscious.  In this case, Meyer's unconscious proved especially fertile!

This is the beautiful white edition of The Twilight Saga,

released only in the UK.

Of course, I own one of them!

(As well as the original one, with the black covers!)

Stephenie Meyer has profoundly touched the hearts and souls of millions of girls and women.  There are those who will disagree, criticizing the books as "cheesy", poorly written, and of no literary value whatsoever.  Stephen King, for instance, whose work I enjoy detesting with every fiber of my being, has stated that Stephenie Meyer, in contrast to J.K. Rowling, "...can't write worth a darn."  These are very unfair words indeed.  Those of us who love The Twilight Saga pay such critics no mind, however.  We have been indelibly marked by the beauty and magic of these four books, and will always treasure them!

The first three books have been made into movies, and the fourth is being filmed in two parts, the first of which will be released in November of this year. 

Many of us fans would be thrilled, of course, if Meyer published more books.  However, I would venture to say that for us, there will never be anything to equal The Twilight Saga.  It will firmly retain a place in our hearts as a testament to the power of true, unconditional love!

Waiting On Wednesday #6

This is a weekly book meme, hosted by

Jill at Breaking the Spine,

which features future releases that we book bloggers

are eagerly anticipating!


My pick for this week is Breath of Angel,
by Karyn Henley. 

This is the very first book in
The Angelaeon Circle,
and it sure promises to be exciting!

Breath of Angel

Karyn Henley

Paperback, 277 pages

Published by WaterBrook Press

Expected Release Date: June 21, 2011

Genre: YA paranormal romance,
Christian fiction

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Melaia finds herself in the middle of a blood feud

between two immortal brothers who destroyed

the stairway to heaven,

stranding angels in the earthly realm.

When the feud turns violent and Melaia becomes a target,

she finds refuge with a band of angels

attempting to restore the stairway. But the restoration is impossible

without the repayment of an ancient debt—

the “breath of angel, blood of man,”

a payment that involves Melaia’s

 heart, soul, and destiny.

This sure sounds like a winner to me!
And the cover is sooo beautiful, too,
with all that blue!

So what book are you anxiously waiting on this Wednesday?